The 25-year-old star - who made her acting debut aged just nine months alongside her twin Mary-Kate in `Full House` - hasn`t appeared in a film since 2004`s `New York Minute` and has no plans to return in front of the camera.

She said: "We worked non-stop until we were 18. Then we decided to take a break and go to school - and that was when we decided to question whether we would carry on in entertainment.

"It was time to step behind the process. I wanted to work on other things.

"It doesn`t mean I`m not interested in Hollywood, I like the way it operates and the people who are involved and the sense of possibility. But if I ever do get back in, it`s not going to be as an actress."

Though Mary-Kate has made some film and TV appearances since `New York minute` - including an eight-episode stint in `Weeds` - she also thinks it "felt right" to step away from acting.

She said: "It just felt right to move away."

The pair now run a fashion empire and though their Dualstar Entertainment Group has over 30 full time staff, Mary-Kate and Ashley insist on being very hands-on with all of their business ventures.

Ashley told the new issue of Britain`s Elle magazine: "We don`t trust a lot of peope. We are perfectionists. We`ve always wanted to be closely involved with everything, totally hands on - that`s why it works. If we step away, it stops working."

Mary-Kate added: "I know it sounds controlling, but that`s how it has to be. It is a big responsibility - but we`ve been doing it for years."
sections: Celebrities